hand and be blessed but if otherwise they grow downeward and thou live after the flesh assuredly thou shalt fall on the left hand and perish irrecoverably Wee shall not be judged according to the particular instant of our death but according to our general course of life 〈◊〉 according to our deeds in that present but according to the desires of our hearts before But seeing they who walke after the flesh are dead already why doth the Apostle say You shall die I answer both are true every ungodly person is now dead but yet a more fearefull death abides them For albeit they be dead in sinne and deprived of the favour of the Creator yet the vaine comforts of the creature doe so bewitch them that they know not how miserable and wretched they are but when the last sentence of damnation shall bee pronounced against them they shall not onely bee banished from the presence of God into everlasting perditiō where the fire of the Lords indignation shall perpetually torment them but they shall also bee stripped of all comfort and refreshment from the creature whatsoever The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull famine of worldly supportments Hee that knowes any thing of the narrow way to heaven of the nature of Gods justice and the cunning sleights of Satan of the difficulty of true repentance and how fearfully mans heart is hardned by custome and continuance in sinne would not delay making peace with God till his last houres for ten thousand worlds Which when I consider I cannot but deplore the iniquity of our times wherein not onely carnall men have set themselves to worke all manner of sinne with greedinesse but even they which heretofore have probably seemed to mortifie the deeds of the body doe now renue the battle and are in outward view reconciled and shake hands with the flesh Now are the dayes wherein the love of many shall waxe cold when men shall bee lovers of themselves lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God Oh how is the Spirit quenched and the flesh inflamed every where shew me the man that truly endeavours the suppressing of sinne Oh this is a hard taske it requireth much patience and vigilancie and will bring no small paine and sorrow to the flesh in the end What then be not dismayed thy future peace will more then recompense thy present trouble What availes a little outward flashy joy when the conscience is disquieted and vexed within who would redeeme a moment of pleasure with eternity of paine All is but bitter sweetes so long as sinne raignes What is the reason of these fearefull outcryes and desperate conclusions of Christians concerning their spiritual estate Whence is it that they taking Satans part in accusing and condemning themselves do utter such dolefull exclamations as these when conscience is throughly awakened Alas I have most wretchedly spent the prime and strength of mine age in vanity and pleasure in lewdnesse and lust The best of my time hath been wofully wasted in obeying Sathan and serving my selfe and therefore though I be weary of my former wayes and looke backe upon them with a trembling heart and grieved spirit yet I am affraid God will never vouchsafe to cast his eye of compassion upon my soule Though I have beene a professour long yet many times my heart is full of doubting when I call to minde the hainousnesse of my unregenerate life and see since I was enlightened and should have behaved my selfe in forwardnesse and fruitfulnesse for God answerable to my former folly and licentiousnesse in evill so many slips and imperfections every day and such weake distracted discharging of duties commanded both towards God and man that my very spirits sink within me Many times when I reach out the hand of my faith to fetch some speciall promise into my soule for refreshing and comfort comparing advisedly my owne vilenesse and nothingnesse with the riches of mercy and grace shining therein I am overwhelmed with admiration and thinke with my selfe how is it possible that this should bee Can such glorious things belong to such a wretch and worme as I am I cannot deny but there is mercy enough in God but for me such a notorious wicked liver as I am mercy for me surely it cannot be Alas I have beene no ordinary sinner my corruptions have carryed me beyond the villanies of the vilest creature you can name the enormity of my wayes have set an infamous brand upon mee in the sight of the world besides those secret pollutions and sinfull practises which no eye ever beheld save God alone Had I not beene extreamely outragious and gone on thus with a high hand I might have had some hope but now all expectation failes me I despaire of salvation c. Oh the feares and perplexities which pursue the soule when sinne is once committed conscience unpacified will rave and dragge a sinner before Gods tribunall The sting of an accusing conscience is like an Harlot more bitter then death Who so pleases God shall escape from it but the sinner shall bee taken in it Conscience being disquieted no earthly thing can asswage and mitigate it Yee shall live After that God hath called iustified and sanctified a poore sinner hee glorifieth him at last with himselfe in eternall blisse Death is but a sleepe to such as are in Christ wherein the body is separated from the soule rotting in the earth a while that it may bee the more capable of glory hereafter but the soule is immediately transported into heaven and there remaineth unto the last judgement praising God and expecting the consummation of the Kingdome of glory Before the comming of Christ the powers of heaven shall be shaken Sunne and Mooone shall suspend their light the starres shall seeme to fall from heaven the Elect shall rejoyce the reprobate shall tremble the whole universe shall bee consumed with fire and depart with a noise of the chariot wheeles the earth and elements with the workes thereof shall be consumed in a moment and brought to nothing At the same time shall the trumpet be heard soūded by an archangell Christ shall come in the clouds with great power glory with a troop of angels Then the Elect which were dead at the hearing of the trumpet shall rise with their bodies and the rest alive shall be changed in a moment and all of them shall bee made like the glorious body of Christ. After which they being gathered before the throne of God shall bee separated from the reprobate and caryed in the aire set upon the right hand of God where they shall heare this sentence Come ye blessed c. After which they shall enjoy everlasting happinesse the parts whereof is eternall life and perfect glory This eternall life is that fellowship with God whereby God of himself is life unto the Elect. They shall not need meat drinke sleepe aire heate cold breath physick apparell the light
the body and all the parts thereof being corrupted are become unto the wicked soule as the convenient tooles for the artificer or as a picklocke or fitted weapon in the hand of a theefe therefore Paul calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weapons of unrighteousnesse or as a shrewish servant to an upright Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Servants to uncleannesse For the soule sealing up every evill action with voluntary consent may be said to bee the theefe and the body the receiver both alike culpable before God seeing each in his nature place hath stricken a stroke in the committing of sin That our whole man is naturally corrupt appeares by the verdict of God himselfe who saith that he is but flesh a very heape and lumpe and bundle of iniquity The imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth and so accordingly his whole disposition and estate even from his subsisting to thâ—s present I know that in me that is in my flesh or nature dwelleth no good saith the Apostle There is not so much as a thought of time betwixt a mans naturall being and his sinfull being So soone as ever wee are borne wee are borne sinners being guilty of Adams transgression before God which is therefore called Originall sinne in regard of the auncientnesse of it continuing eversince Adams fall accompanying the nature of man from his very first being and having the source and fountaine of all sinfull practises in it Our first parents being once corrupt how could any cleane thing bee brought out of their filthinesse Of flesh nothing could bee borne but flesh Adam begat children in his own likenesse If the roote had beene holy so had the branches beene but the tree being once corrupt the fruit could not chuse but be according How should this startle and affright the secure worldlings of our time sawest thou ever a leprous person whose body is bespred with sores and scabs Such and a thousand times worse art thou in the sight of God Knewest thou at any time a man in debt for some hundreds of pounds more than he is worth for whom the Bayliffes and Serjeants lye in waite at every corner see the shadow of thy own estate in him A world of actions hath the Lord against thee and his justice is ready to attache thee and seise upon thee every houre Could we seriously thinke on this it would make us unsatisfied in abasing our selves and cause us never to rest till we have made our peace with God Thou beholdest abroad a vaine person fairely set out to the eye tricked and trimmed in the best fashion and it may be thou knowest of some secret foule disease he hath or of some great debt he is in Dost thou not in thy thoughts now scorne such a one of folly Dost thou not say to thy selfe no marvell sure he should be so proud that hath such a deale of filthinesse underneath his gaynesse that lies in every bodies debt and owes more than hee is able to discharge Turne this home to thine own soule and wonder as much at thy selfe that can bee so carelesse so fearelesse so presumptuous when thy soule hath such neede of washing and there are against thee such Bills of iniquity and for ought thou knowest not yet blotted out before the Lord. Canst thou thinke well of thy selfe that hast by nature such a filthy soule Oh bewail that spirituall thraldome wherein thou art plunged commune w th thine own heart and say Into what misery boÌ„dage have I brought my selfe Thou Lord madest me holy pure and upright but by sin I sold my selfe unto the service of Sathan from which to this day I cannot get deliverance My mind is blind vaine foolish my will perverse and rebellious all my affections out of order there is nothing whole or sound within me Night and day I am pestered with sinfull motions The desires of my deceitfull heart bee so strong and prevailing that I am carried headlong to that which is evil The cursed earth is not so apt to bee overgrowne with weedes bryers and thornes as this soule of mine with lusts passions distempers worldly cares and sinfull thoughts the law of the flesh rebelleth against the law of my minde and diffuseth its venome into every action I performe and carrieth me violently to the committing of sin against knowledge and conscience The Gally-slaves condition is very hard and miserable but mine is farre worse No drudgery so base as the service of sinne No Tyrant so cruell aâ— sinne which allows no respite or time of refreshing O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death I have deepely defiled my selfe by transgression but have no power to cleanse my heart O Lord. I have defaced thine image but cannot repuire it I have yeelded the powers of my soule to the obedience of sinne and now I would cast off that subjection and breake those snares I am altogether unsufficient for it When I would do well evill is present and I know no meanes to perfect my desire I want no strength to perfect that which is evill and I am ready and apt upon all occasions to goe astray but I am not able to doe any good such is my feeblenesse I am invironed and beset with sinne on every side Oh when shall I bee set at liberty that I may runne the wayes of Gods commandements Hitherto of the phrase of speech used by the Holy Ghost namely the flesh for the whole man body and Soule the particular corruption of either which that wee may shun as farre as wee may wee must learne to know theÌ„ in their speciall heads that so with some certainty we may kenne our owne stepps and discerne our owne hearts whether we walke according to the flesh yea or not Concerning the corruption of the soule and first as touching the fleshly understanding As the fierce dragon bringeth not forth the innocent dove or the roaring Lyon the harmelesse sheepe no more did Adam in the state of his impurity beget children sutable with his condition in the state of innocency but having defiled the holinesse of his nature by eating the forbidden fruit as a little levin levineth the whole lumpe so he imparted the same nature to his son as most evidently appeared in Cain and from him to all the rest of his posterity even unto our selves being all of us begotten in sin and conceived in iniquity So that whereas before the minde was endued with a perfect actuall knowledge of God so far as the humane nature may be supposed capable yea and which is more was enriched with power and ability of knowing more than as yet he had actually attained Now as the cleere sunshine overwhelmed with a cloud so is the minde of man overcast with palpable darknesse being destitute not onely of all reall knowledg excepting that naturall knowledge he hath of God taught him by the creatures which is rather a
upon them yet shall they escape no more then a beast taken in a trappe or the prisoner included in a strong tower When the Lord shall come in the clouds with his holy Angels the assises shall bee kept in the aire the prisoners of the earth notwithstanding their boasting among their fellows shall all be arraigned before him and then shall ensue the verdict of the conscience upon them even that fearefull sentence of death Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and 〈◊〉 angells This may teach us to give small credit to the glittering face and flattering countenance of outward things Let us cheere our selves never so much in our youth and walke forth-right in the wayes of our owne hearts and sight of our owne eyes yet for all that God shall bring us to iudgement The waters are deepest where they are stillest upon a hot gload there followeth a violent storme the terrors of Gods wrath shall assault the wicked man as a sudden tempest and carry him away by night In this one word Yee shall die is contained the infinite volumne of all misery the great Ocean of all sorrow it being an Epitome of mans future calamity Did a man certainely know that hee should lose all his goods friends honor and credit if hee committed this or that particular action I suppose he would shrinke from doing it If the adulterer should know that he was watched and that one behinde the doore stands ready with a polaxe to choppe off one of his legges or armes mee thinkes the feare of that mischiefe should bee too strong for his bruitish affections and conquer his lustfull passions If the drunkard should know that in such a taverne whither he usually goeth posting with his cup companions there standeth in one of the drinking places a man with a pistoll charged with white powder of purpose to shoote him through I imagine how gladly hee would leave his wine and sugar and betake himselfe to his heeles yea and account him his friend that would push him over the threshold and thrust the doore after him And this not without reason for as a man would bee willing to give all that he hath yea and to lose some of his limbes to redeeme his life Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath will be give for his life So will hee be contented to deny his pleasures and profits if in case they prejudice that unlesse it bee those wherein the temerarious rashnesse of affection preventeth reason and enforceth the body to commit the action before the minde hath given any counsell Now if reason can thus prevaile against corrupt passions when hurt is intended against the body why should it not much more perswade the understanding conscience and will to endeavour themselves against fleshly corruptions which are pernicious to the soule and not onely temporall but eternall death to the whole man By death in this place is understood not the first but the second death as appeareth plainely by the antithesis and opposition of eternall happinesse against this everlasting death and misery And so it is taken in many places of scripture Hee that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second death The fearefull and unbeleeving c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death What need many proofes as if every scripture were not given by divine inspiration Here wee see the Tragedy that must follow the pleasant Comedy of worldly joyes and the hard reckoning that is given after all the junkets of fleshly pleasure If you aske mee what this death is I thus define it When the aforesaid ignorant and unconscionable wretch hath played his pageants in City and Countrey upon the scafffold of this present earth and perhaps hath gotten him wealth wife and children builded a faire house borne office in the parishwhere he dwelleth purchased much land engrossed sundry commodities and mounted upon the proud foaming steede of all stumbling vanity of a sodaine when hee most wisheth and hopeth to live as a fish taken with a hooke or a bird with the snare he shall bee entrapped with death His fleshly body shall be cast into the earth for a time and his soule into the bottomeless pit of hell Now after that the soule and body hath for a certain season made their abode in the said places of the grave and hell as a Malefactor in the prison untill the Law day then shall they by the unspeakable power of God be united again into one man at the voice of an Archangell and trumpet of God and be summoned together with the rest of the dead to make their appearance before the Almighty to heare that fearefull sentence of condemnation pronounced against them Depart from mee yee cursed c. This is the truth which the Lord hath spoken let all flesh cover their faces lay their hands on their mouthes and stand agast hereat Mocke not at Gods judgements as commonly thou doest at the devil in a play It is fearful jesting with thy maker or playing the foole with edged tooles If further you demand what shall be the state of this creature thus cursed of God and condemned to death I answer if men may bee deceived in judging of the creature subject to sense and outward being much more hardly are they able to conceive of things invisible and made purposely of God in his wisdome to exceede the apprehension of any creature For which cause as the ioyes celestiall doe farre surpasse all earthly melody and therefore cannot be conceived truely because man wanteth a cleer spectacle wherein to behold them So the sorrowes of everlasting torment being transcendent all the glasse of humane misery cannot be sufficient in full conceit to expresse it or come neere it neither can it be knowne of any fleshly creature saving onely of such as feele it Yet least any man herein should be utterly ignorant and so waxe secure esteeming death eternall as a poeticall fury or vizzard to be playd withall thereby fearfully derogating from Gods power wisdome and glory in inflicting justice the holy Ghost hath given us some secret items concerning this point and slightly in comparison runne it over as a Painter with a little white lead drawing forth the great Elephant not so much teaching us what it is as what indeed it is not The first thing touching this matter to be considered briefly is the separation of these carnall men before spoken of from the presence and glory of God whose communion as it is the head and heart of all felicity so to bee deprived of his favourable presence is the very summe of all misery For as a grievous malefactor once in favour with his Prince bound in chains of iron hung up on the top of an hill debarred of all mortall helpe set apart to be consumed with famine night and day filleth the hils and
dales with his restlesse moanes and stayeth the most speedy passengers with the hollow cryes of his extreme misery Or as a Princes daughter set on shoare by a perfidious shipman where is nought but trees and wildernesse lyons beares and antilopps debarred of all comfort within the hearing of the groveling dens compassed about with seas So and much more fearefull is the state of that man whosoever he be that is banished from the presence of God in regard of the graces of the spirit which are the infallible pledges of his love and favour however he enjoyeth many outward good things as the stranger in a Princes Court may make him selfe glad with his wine though altogether unknowne or at least without any speciall notice taken of him by the Prince But when God shall 1. strip him of all temporall blessings as riches honor health wealth friends peace c. 2. When he shall make himselfe knowne to his blinde soule with a more manifest and apparant resemblance of his glory in justice declaring the detestation hee hath of his supposed knowledge his unconscionable conscience his devillish wil and corrupt affections 3. When hee shall first shut the doore upon him that leadeth unto life and then also for ever cast him out of his presence as a man that throws a toad or serpent out of his garden and that into the place of everlasting tormēt Lord what tongue can expresse or heart conceive the heavy estate of this forlorne or abject creature To be out of favor with a Prince is much but to be out of favour with God who can abide it There is no man living unlesse he be desperate but either hee thinketh himself high in Gods favour and therefore is still peaceable within himselfe or else is possessed with such a spirit of slumber that the faculty of due pondering the pretiousnesse of Gods presence is taken from him as in a drūkard which neither regardeth his frendnor his foe but when the drinke shall be out of his head as at the departure of his soul then shall hee strike his knees together his heart shall bee cold as a stone like that of Nabal when the feast was past and hee had heard the judgement denounced then shall hee open his eyes as the man which hath beene blind from his birth and behold the vengeance of God upon him By the Presence of God in this place I doe not understand a bare locall residence with God so Sathan may stand before God neither can any thing created go from his presence hee being in heaven in hell and in all places but by his Presence I understand as the holy Ghost teacheth me the comfort the joy and blisse which betydeth the Creature through his presence Now what the losse hereof may be I leave to thy owne heart and yet it being fleshly may happily err or not esteem so highly as the thing requireth To helpe thee in a word Adam after his offence fled from Gods presence and the Lord ratified it for indeed hee cast him out of the garden where hee had communion and fellowship with God yet so that hee left him certaine signes and tokens of his former dignity both spirituall and temporall in soul and body from whence it commeth that wee his children doe yet retain some resemblance of our former happinesse though our holinesse is quite lost We have Lordship over all the creatures wee are fed with the fruits of the earth we have some cōlinesse of person and impression of majesty beyōd the beasts yea we have a smack of God And in politicall matters yet preserve some slender and slight footings of his wisdome and providence the King ruleth the people obey the heaven the earth and the stars yeelde themselves according to the will of the Creator propitious unto man hee enjoyeth their light their influences their fruits sundry commodities And all this because man albeit out of the garden of Eden the place of delight yet is still as long as hee liveth in the Cookes garden being thrust as it were out of a most pleasant parlour where God appeared in glory into a more obscure place of lesse communion with him Now when the first death commeth as a sore-runner to the last judgement man is deprived in an instant of all pretended comforts and outward favours and plunged into an infinite depth of woe and bottomlesse gulph of wrathfull misery his body strangely altered being severed from his soule which gave it both life and reason yea and deprived of all earthly succour excepting a ditch in the earth to preserve his bones and Cinders unto the time of the resurrection All which marke it by the decree of the just Judge of heaven shall for ever be deprived of all shew of favour or the least drop of mercy and be exiled the Courts of the Almighty world without end Here the Kings of the earth shall bee degraded the Lords and Ladies of the Court abashed and each rich stately person utterly disherited of all his substance To bee out of favour with the world is troublesome to weake flesh but to bee discountenanced with God this is the Ocean of all misery Every creature then beholdeth with a threatning face the heavens lower the earth frownes and withdraw themselves from our comfort For as hee that loseth the good will of the Master loseth also the heart of the true and trusty servant So he that is once discountenanced with God all creatures in heaven and earth make head against him Oh that our great landed men as wee call them which have seated themselves for ever as they suppose would consider of this tragicall ruine they are so shamefully beguiled with the composed countenance of the harlot voluptuousnesse the strength of pleasure arising from worldly wealth hath so dispossessed them of their wits that they rave in the pride of their hearts not considering their latter end Out beggar I scorne thee my land is worth three hundred pounds by the yeer and wilt thou presume to keepe mee company c. Ah consider that thou art carnall and livest according to the flesh and therefore must dye All outward things shall forsake thee thy wealth and credit thy pastime and acquaintance all shall bee abandoned God himselfe will strippe thee of these robes and clothe thee with shame for ever In vaine doest thou presume of mercy thou caryest the bagge for a season but it shall one day bee rent from thy side and God shall bee glorified in leaving thee naked The second thing to bee considered is that great reproach which shall seise on the carnall man after this life by reason of the cleere revealing of all his hidden sinnes Little Children abide in him that when hee shall appeare we may be bold and not be ashamed before him at his comming If a man come and publish a hidden crime we are ready with our action to cleere our honesty and defend our reputation by challenging
despaire and in the wicked to torment them before their time yet in respect of God a most friendly admonition for by this a man is suffered in a vision to see and feele the torment of hell to know the price of Christs blood to labour by all meanes possibly to make sure his election In the wicked also it hath this use I could never have thought it possible for a mortall man to have beene capable of that measure of distresse had not the Lord in his mercy for the further subduing also of my bedlame flesh suffered mee sometimes to behold and feele the flashings of hell through his grace causing me as a child to be stilled by the view of fearefull beasts If then in a dream or in a mans life time there may bee such an incredible horror that it may cause the eyes to stare the tongue to rave the haire to stand an end How much more hideous will it be when really and in deede with perfect knowledge sense broad waking we shall feele the strokes of the Almighty the terrours of God shall lay hold of us In consideration whereof in the name of God as you tender your eternall welfare enter into the examination of your selves and discerne of your estates whether they bee carnall or no cry out for the spirit you heare what the Holy Ghost saith If you walke after the flesh ye shall dye How strangely doth the sentence of Corporall death appall a man though pronounced by a wretch like himselfe and shall not the doome of death eternall given out by the Holy Ghost at all astonish you Oh let not Sathan harden your hearts resist the devill and he will flye from thee It is a Commandement and a promise What faire warnings doth God give unto men by himselfe and Ministers by the motions of his Spirit and checkes of our consciences from time to time and shall we bee so voide of grace as to make our selves a booty for Sathan to stand still while he deprives us of our lives and soules and all Me thinks reason should something prevaile with us in things so neerely concerning our best good But alas a hardened heart like Pharaohs a flint an adamant a marble spirit no admonition will serve its turn where grace is wanting no impression takes any roote Men will make triall and then beleeve A feareful experience this is thou maist first try in an earthly cause and then be warned but from hell thou canst not returne Remember Dives credit not the multitude Olde Tophet is wide and large humble thy selfe therefore betime and repent of thy grievous sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if ye mortifie As before the Apostle described an infallible token of death so here he proceedeth to shew in like manner a teckmerion or a certaine signe of life and that is the killing and slaying of sinne which is called Mortification For as seed which thou sowest is not quickened before it die or this corruptible body glorified before it be for a season dead and buried So neither is the manâ—ramed â—ramed in us which according to God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse untill the olde man bee wounded and laid for dead in us which like a gyant standeth up to expell and oppose the prosters and meanes of all holinesse And this is the cause that the holy Ghost maketh mention onely of this weakning of the force of sin through the death and buriall of Christ not excluding the other part of sanctification which is vivification viz. a vertue flowing from the resurrection of Christ causing us also to rise to newnesse of life It were to small purpose to bring place upon place to prove that which through the whole booke of God is so cleerely apparant How shall we that are dead to sin live yet therein They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof What can be plainer than this As the Physitian first purgeth before hee giveth a restorative so every one that shall be saved hereafter must first receive an allayer of his corruption here he must first be launced before he can be healed You may know the body of sinne in all his particular members by that which hath beene spoken touching the Flesh. Let every man woman here present examine himselfe from top to toe what cure is wrought by the spirit in his soul whether the kingdome of sinne and Sathan be demolished and weakned and the Kingdome of Jesus Christ advanced and built up in him whether corruption dyes and grace lives in his heart I beseech you deale faithfully with your owne soules and answer me directly to these interrogatories Are thy words which heretofore have beene full of prophanenesse and worldlinesse now directed to Gods glory and the good of those among whom thou livest Are thy thoughts which heretofore were loose and ungodly now bounded within a sacred compasse and spent wholly on heavenly things Is thy understanding informed of the mysteries of Christs Kingdome Is thy memory which heretofore hath beene stuffed with trash and toyes now capable and greedy of divine knowledge Doest thou order every passage of thy life by direction out of Gods word Art thou inwardly conscionable in the performance of holy duties Doth the tendernesse of thy coÌ„science smite thee not onely for grosse and open sinnes but even for vaine cogitations and the least appearance of any evill Art thou watchful against all occasions and temptations of sinne Doest thou feele thy selfe grow and increase in the wayes of holinesse Hast thou such a gracious taste of the glory of God and eternall life that thou desirest to meete thy Saviour in the clouds not so much to be rid out of the miseries of this life as to bee freed from the heavy burthen of sin which hangs so fast upon thee In a word doest thou so judge of things now as thou wouldest doe hereafter when thy soule is best able to judge as in the houre of death and the day of distresse Doest thou approve of things as they further thy last account as they commend thee more or lesse unto God and will bring true peace or sorow to thy soul at last and no otherwise then blessed and happy is thy condition and know this for the comfort of thy soule that thou art dearely beloved of God yea his peculiar one and precious in his eyes Sathan and all the powers of darknesse are fast chained up for ever doing thee any hurt Thou shalt never more bee afraid of evill tidings though the earth be moved and the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea yet thy heart shall abide strong and comfortable I dare boldly pronounce that God is reconciled unto thee and that his sweete love which never changeth hath seized on thy soule What will it availe a man to say he is rich like the bragging Laodicean and yet be extreame miserable poore and naked what will it
further any of us to say we feele the decaying of sinne when as the Kingdome of Sathan still flourisheth in us Away with this glozing and deceitfull dealing hypocriticall holinesse is worse then professed wickednesse this it is so odious in Gods eyes that hee will plague those in whom it ruleth with his severest judgments those very good workes wherein the hypocrite seemeth to make hast to heaven cary him post to hell Nothing brings the soule more into a generall consumption then this sinne it deprives a man of true peace of conscience hardens his heart and fills him with such inward perplexity that hee dares not looke God in the face with any comfort The deeds of the body The meaning of the holy Ghost is not that wee should cut off the outward acts of sinne onely like many a dissembling hypocrite which hath the gift of restraining his affections that they breake not out but that wee should kill sinne at the heart and in the cradle then shall wee make sure worke and never hereafter stand in feare The next way to drench the conduit is to dry up the fountaine In vaine dost thou loppe sinne unlesse it be deprived of its master roote It may be thou wilt say that is a thing impossible Indeed to thee which art wholly evill it is marke therefore what followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the Spirit This is that little David which taketh the Goliah of our corrupt nature and choppeth off his head this is hee that bringeth light out of darknesse life out of death which shineth as a starre through the watry clouds of humane infirmitie As there bee divers acceptations of the word flesh so also of the Spirit sometimes it is taken for the soule sometimes for naturall reason but that is not here meant To omit all other constructions the word Spirit in this place is taken for that created quality of holinesse which by the holy Ghost is so wrought in the minde will and affections of a man whereby the power and force of sin comes to be abated the faculty of holines inherēt sanctity is renewed in us But why doth the Apostle say if yee mortifie is it in our power to deprive sinne of its life and being It pleaseth God to speake of things as done by us when as indeed they are wrought in us Such is his fatherly wisedome that oft he ascribeth those things to us which hee himselfe secretly effecteth Wee mortifie the deeds of the body but it is by the spirits helpe the strength to subdue sinne is put into us from heaven Wee are as able to shake the foundation of the earth with our little finger as to shake our sin by our owne strength Nature will not slay our lusts it must be the Spirit of Christ corrupt nature labours by all meanes to preserve its owne being Hee that goes among Lions must needs be torne in pieces sinnes are Lions and will soone destroy us if God help us not Mortification of sinne is possible through the Spirits assistance otherwise impossible When therefore thou feelest pride covetousnesse lust growing upon thee looke for power from above or else thou art undone Pray in the words of Iehosaphat Lord there is no strength in mee to stand against these sinnes neither doe I know what to doe but mine eyes are towards thee Alas how are we overcome of evill whereas we should overcome evill with good we shake at the very noyse of temptation and give in presently wee have power over our eyes tongues or thoughts but let sinne passe in and out at pleasure All which shews how nothing wee are in our selves Sathan and the world are too strong for us standing in our owne might but by leaning on the power of God we remaine invincible whatsoever inordinatenesse a true Christian espies hee presently endeavours the killing through the efficacy of Christ. Indeed passions are not so bridled nor corruptions so quelled that they doe not stir but the force and power of them is so farre subdued that they shall not raigne or hale us ordinarily to that which is euill Hast thou been long kept under by some customary vice against which thou hast resolved and resolved but canst not prevaile Get thee to Christ by the help of his Spirit thou shalt get victory over all thy infirmities Die to thy selfe renounce the broken reede of thine owne freewill which hath so often deceived thee and put all thy trust in the grace of Christ that will crucifie thy olde man and give him his deaths wound be weake in thy selfe and strong in the Lord and through his might thou shalt be more than conquerour As faith encreases the power of corruption will decay and languish this fires the heart with such an unquenchable love to God that in comparison of obedience it contemneth the whole world besides It puts into us both courage and constancy to fight against the strongest lusts and set upon the practise of the most difficult duties notwithstanding all opposition from the world and devill yea though wee have beene foyled or taken the repulse Hee will not feare the subduing of the most head-strong passion who resteth upon God for power and abilitie nor bee dismayed because once hee hath received a foyle who depends upon God for strength to recover nor dread the might of his greatest adversary who knowes that God will bee at his right hand to sustaine him nor start aside in the most difficult dutie whose heart is fast linked unto the Lord and relyeth upon his grace to be enabled to whatsoever he is pleased to call him In the affaires of this life we love to excell and outstrip others and in matters of Religion to bee dead and lumpish is it not abominable would we raigne with the Saints hereafter and not labour with them now receive the price and not runne the race divide the spoile and not fight the battle The Merchant undertakes dangerous adventures to raise his estate yet alas what is the gold of India to the joyes of heaven a fading possession to an eternall weight of glory When once we discern what love the Lord beareth to us we cannot but returne love for love when a man considers hath Christ given himselfe for mee forgiven me so many debts conferred favours of all kindes upon mee what then shal I retribute to him againe O my soule why doest thou not resigne thy selfe to the pleasure of his will in every thing run when he calleth and doe what he requireth at thy hands what doest thou feare wherewith art thou entangled God is thy Father and Soveraigne to him thou owest thy selfe and all that thou hast thy honour wealth life or whatever is more precious then those Thou canst not love thy selfe as is meete if thou deny not thy selfe to follow the Lord in all things Is there any thing too hard tobedone for his sake too deare or good for him what hast thou in heaven or
the empty parched soule that comes unto him Hee is an overflowing fountaine his grace is unsearchable his store can never bee diminished Hee filleth the empty and satisfieth the poore that he might bee acknowledged the well-spring of all grace and goodnesse Lastly be sure to keepe the flesh under by stopping all passages of provision for it cleere thy minde of sinfull cogitations blot out of thy memory ribald speeches and obscene jests preserve thy heart from unlawfull lusts wicked desires and unruly passions Keepe thine appetite from intemperance and excesse thy tongue from corrupt communication thine eares from ungodly and dishonest discourses thine eyes from waton wicked objects and finally thy body from sloth and idlenesse effeminate delicacie and carnall pleasures It fares with the flesh and the spirit as with two mortall enemies in the field hee that by any meanes aideth and strengtheneth the one doth thereby make way for weakening of the other Hee that joyneth with the flesh doth oppose the spirit and hee that standeth on the spirits side doth bring the flesh into captivity Who would strengthen an enemie to oppugne himselfe wee give stings and weapons to the flesh arming it against the spirit when as wee pamper the body with delicacy inflame it with wine handle it daintily and nourish inticements and provocations to lust in it If the flesh be full fed it will despise the Spirit and commit many outrages in a Christian soule Yea it will waxe proud and insolent foyle the regenerate part and force it to live in miserable slavery Better to become a swine-heard with the prodigall than to bee a servant to our base lusts The heathen could say he was borne to more noble ends than to bee a slave to his owne body and shall not our spirits bee elevated to a higher pitch of excellency than his as having God for our Father and Christ for our elder brother which of us enobled by birth and liberally brought up being clothed with lothsome some ragges and defiled with noysome excrements would not hastily strippe them off and with indignation cast them away This flesh of ours doth us more mischiefe than the devill himselfe alas hee could never hurt us were we not first betrayed by this inbred enemy yea it is worse then hell and damnation as being the cause of both without it hell were no hell neither could destruction fasten upon us All the outrages and horrible crimes which are committed in the world may challenge the flesh for their chiefe cause and author It was this that pierced our Saviours hands and feete which moveth men daily to crucifie him afresh and trample his precious blood under their filthy feet and can we finde in our hearts to have any peace or truce with such a malicious enemy shall we not rather with implacable rage and constant resolution assault pursue and wound it to the death shall we not rather take part with the Spirit in warring against the flesh and disfurnish all provision and munition from the one that the other may be furnished with all necessaries Our spirit is the better part and should bee most regarded Who would deprive his soule of so sweet a guest to entertaine inordinate lusts The more familiar Sampson was with Dalilah the more was God a stranger to him For the weaknes of the flesh encreaseth the strength of the spirit even as cōtrariwise the strēgth of the flesh bringeth weaknesse to the spirit and indeed what wonder is it for a man to be made stronger by the weakening of his enemy who would purchase the pleasure of a base sinne at so high a rate as to lose the comfortable society of Gods blessed Spirit what meanest thou to admit such a mate into thy heart with which Gods spirit cannot sort It may bee thou wilt not rudely bid him get out of doores yet thou mayest weary him forth by welcomming such guests into thy soule as he can no wayes brook Oughtest thou not much rather to crucifie the flesh and walke in the spirit that so thou mayest not fulfill the lusts thereof doth not God call upon thee to slay thy corruptions to doe thy best not onely to subdue them but to put them to death encouraging thee thereunto by a gracious promise that if through the spirit thou doest mortifie the deeds of the body thou shalt live both the life of grace here and of glory hereafter What is the use of all this but to stir us to looke about us seeing wee have so secret and subtill and adversary to circumvent us Thinke not the Christian combat ended when some few battles are fought that thou art now out of danger rather expect and prepare for more Many stout Captaines have been overthrowne because after a cōquest they feared no fresh assault The flesh is restlesse in its assaults ever besieging us wee can neither fly from it nor chase away that from us it is not therefore sufficient to make good onsett nor yet to hold out the brunt of some assaults but all must be finished how bitter so ever ere we can looke for victory We must resist unto bloud and bee faithfull unto the death if ever we expect the crowne of life He that prevaileth in some conflicts and is at length vanquished cannot be said to overcome Saul fought many of the Lords battels valiantly but hee withdrew himselfe and the Lord forsooke him though thou hast done much yet give not over so long as there remains any thing to be done Consider not what conflicts have beene endured as how many are still to bee encountred Regard what is to come rather than what is past timerously to cease from resisting temptation is dangerous to our selves and dishonorable to God it maketh Sathan to insult over us and get advantage against us let us not thinke if we yeeld the field the devil will bee contented It is not the glory of conquest that he seeketh so much as our destruction which when I consider I cannot but bewaile the naked condition of many persons who suffer their armour to hang on the wals and rust never putting it on to any use Alas what benefit can come by a thing that lies dead doe we thinke we stand in no need of it or that God made this defence in vain experienced Christians find the contrary Our life is nothing but a continuall warfare so long as we are in this mortall body carnall motions will rise in our hearts though wee cut them off they spring out againe though thou quench them they are kindled againe will thou nill thou they soone returne they may be subdued but cannot bee rooted out It is no easie work to lead a christian life considering the continuall conflict of these two parties the flesh and spirit of so contrary dispositions within us It is impossible wee should ever walk after the one unlesse we resist the other Sathan will bee sure to take part with corruption and
keepe grace low and looke how much we detract from the flesh so much our spirituall part will prosper and be in good liking How may a man know that grace hath gotten the upper hand and that the power of sin is abated in him Dost thou loath nothing more than thy former spirituall bondage Hast thou a secret dislike of thy naturall estate seest a necessity of reforming it and watchest over those things which are most pleasing to it this cannot proceed but from a worke of grace in thee for Nature is a lover of it selfe and seekes by all means its own preservation when a man is come to this that he doth not approve his sinfull inclination nor willingly give way unto it but studies rather which way to curbe and restraine the same it is a manifest signe of some higher hand by which the flesh shall bee more and more over ruled I doubt not but a man after there is some change wrought in him by grace may in some particulars receive a foyle by his owne corruptions and by that law of his members which fights and rebels against the law of God hardly may a man say hee is truly changed unlesse he be sensible of the struggling of nature against grace but yet still it is a pledge of such a work begun as shall never be broken off when Nature in the proper disposition thereof is become a burthen to the soule and a man would faine bee better and have it otherwise with him than it is Grace cannot stand with the regiment of sin That person in whom grace is truly wrought desires to bee furnished with the compleat armour of God that he may resist the devill the strength and bent of his will and affections are for God and goodnes hee chooseth holinesse with a full purpose and resolution to walke in it he turnes from his former evils with a detestation of them and leaves them with a resolution never to take them up againe he daily prayes and cryes earnestly to God for strength against corruption and wisheth O that my wayes were so directed that I might keepe thy statutes He is not for God to day and the devil to morrow Hee is no Morning Saint and evening Devil but desires continually to walke with God in all well pleasing A Gracious heart keepes a constant warre with his lusts the law of his members is evermore rebelling against the law of his minde Howsoever upon the assault of some furious temptation haply hee may be wounded and taken prisoner by some raging lust which imperiously treads and tramples upon him yet doth hee not yeelde and give himselfe over to the power of lust Grace within bestirs it selfe the heart sighes and groanes and seekes to God for succour If thy case be thus that thou abhorrest Sathan and his snares that thou delightest in the law of God concerning the inner man that thou ponderest with care and diligence willingly and setledly to follow the things of the Spirit that is such things as the spirit prompts and suggests Doe you grieve inwardly for that dominion which the flesh exerciseth over you lessening the power and practice of sinne all you can not leaving the reines to corruption to carry you whither it will but rather holding it in with a bridle of righteousnesse Doth not the feare of God in you though sometimes driven from its station still dwell as controuler in your soule represse refractory thoughts and affections and sway your heart against the naturall inclination that you may keepe Gods word that though you bee interlaced with the flesh yet you give the guidance of your life to the holy Ghost loving that he may have the principality in you Doe you chiefly attend your spirituall being and principally affect things in heaven and not things on earth Doest thou submit to the commandement with pleasure in it so as thou canst truly say I am content to doe thy will yea thy law is within my heart Doest thou lay hold upon good thoughts and desires so soone as they offer themselves unto thee welcomming them in the kindest manner into thy heart and constraining them by a respective usage to stay still with thee so soone as any good motiō arises doest thou feare the deceitfulnesse of thy heart and pray with David knit my heart this fickle fugitive heart of mine is alwayes ready to steale from thee knit it O Lord and tye it fast unto thy selfe that as it is now with thee so it may still continue O Lord keep this frame of the thoughts of thy servants heart for ever Are thy failings matter of daily humiliation unto thy soule Doest thou finde and feele that nothing under the Sunne more stings and pierces thy soule than to be now and then overtaken with sinfull passions or carried away with the swinge of any corruptions against thy godly purpose and resolutions Doest thou love righteousnesse it selfe as righteousnesse bee the thing and subject of never so small a nature And dost thou hate sinne as sinne bee it never so little in thine eye Is the one precious to thee for his sake whom it resembles and the other loathsome because it opposes the Almighty Doest thou obey God out of a love of goodnesse seeing a beauty in the wayes of holinesse being humbled when thou hast done thy best that thou canst bring no more glory to him dost thou love righteous men for righteousnesse sake Is thy service ready and cheerefull without repining and delay Canst thou be content to obey against profit pleasure credit liberty ease the liking of the world or carnall friends preferring Gods commandements above all things yea life it selfe Art thou sensible of the dishonour done unto God and more vexed for that than for any disgrace or injury offered to thy self it is a good signe But art thou quick sighted into the faults of others and indulgent towards thine owne it is an ill symptome The best men are most severe against themselves and tender over others A gracious heart dislikes sinne in any but in himselfe most of all He is very backward in censuring others but exceeding forward in accusing himself None can say so much against him but he is ready to say much more He loveth goodnesse in the greatest enemie and hateth sin even in the greatest friend Art thou conscionable of the least offence as wel as the greatest cherishing an universall hatred of all sinne in thy soule whether secret or open without exception and carying a constant purpose and resolution in nothing willingly to sinne against God but whatsoever thou knowest to be a sin thou wilt not deliberately doe it for all the world at all times and in all places though no eye sees thee and it may be beneficiall unto thee Here is a notable signe that grace hath gotten the upper hand when as thou preferrest vertue before vice even then when in humane reason vertue will be the loser and